“Education is a respectable calling that shapes the character, bore, and eventual fate of a person. In the event that the individuals recollect me as a decent teacher, that will be the greatest respect for me. “ Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
In the Philippines, there are two ways of how teachers retire from the public service to avail of full retirement benefits. One is for those who have rendered at least fifteen (15) years of service (RA 8291) and another is at reaching sixty years of age upon retirement (PD 1146)
Often, when a teaching or non-teaching staff of the Department of Education retires, he or she simply just stop reporting for work just like, no ceremony or accolades to commemorate one’s length of service.
Not so for Deped Bakun. When a staff retires the school holds a very special program called Salamat… Mabuhay… for him/her.
In the program, colleagues as well as citizens of good standing in the barangay get to share all the knowledge and experiences they have had with the retiree as well as extend their well wishes as he/she is entering another aspect of life. The good thing about this practice is the retiree as well as his/her own family member gets to hear about the good things and influences that he/she did while still alive. In other words, a living eulogy.
The latest honoree of this program is Mrs. Concepcion A. Sukil-ap who retired earlier this year. Deped Bakun held a Salamat…Mabuhay program for her last January 8, 2021, following IATF guidelines on crowd gathering at Cabutotan Elementary School, Cabutotan Bakun Benguet.
She rendered her teaching services in far flung schools of Bakun, Benguet namely Tanas, Lamew, Cadsi-Amoy and Palidan Elementary Schools. She was then promoted as a school head after 24 years as a school teacher. She was assigned to Tanas, Labinio-Mariano and then to Cabutotan Elementary School. She retired after 37 years and 2 months of service in the government at the age of 63.
The community and colleagues talked of her dedication, sacrifice and service beyond duty during the program.
Indeed the Salamat… Mabuhay… program is an excellent practice worthy of emulating by other agencies and sustaining in the future.** Ronald C. Sacyat
